Rivera runs through Mariners

SEATTLE – Juan Rivera homered twice and the Los Angeles Angels battered Seattle’s bullpen in a 14-6 win over the Mariners on Tuesday afternoon.

Rivera hit a solo homer leading off the fifth and then hit a three-run shot on an 0-1 pitch from reliever Rafael Soriano down the right-field line and just inside the foul pole in the ninth. It was Rivera’s fourth multi-homer game and he finished with five RBIs.

The Angels rallied from a 5-1 deficit behind a seven-run sixth inning. Struggling Maicer Izturis singled to center twice in the sixth, the second hit scoring Adam Kennedy, as the Angels produced their highest scoring inning of the season.

Izturis broke an 0-for-15 slump with a bunt single in the fourth inning.

The Angels sent 12 batters to the plate in the sixth and got RBI singles from Izturis, Orlando Cabrera and Jose Molina, and RBI doubles by Vladimir Guerrero and Kendry Morales. Rivera and Chone Figgins also hit run scoring sacrifice flies. The six hits in the inning were the most for Los Angeles this season.

The Angels have won four straight, while Seattle lost its third consecutive game and is just 1-4 on its nine-game homestand.

Ervin Santana (9-3) won his fifth straight decision despite giving up six earned runs. It was the most runs allowed in his last seven starts, but the fourth inning was Santana’s only real trouble. Otherwise, he allowed just six hits and struck out six in his eight innings.

Figgins started the sixth walking on a 3-2 pitch from Seattle starter Gil Meche. Izturis singled and then Cabrera singled to left, past a diving Adrian Beltre, to score Figgins. It was the 61st consecutive game Cabrera has safely reached base.

Meche was pulled despite having thrown only 87 pitches, and reliever Julio Mateo couldn’t stop the Angels’ rally. Guerrero greeted Mateo with a double into the left-field corner, and Mateo allowed four runs and four hits.